As concrete structures, such as roads and bridges, age, they may need to be reinforced to maintain their structural integrity. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate has been used in such situations. In particular, strips of CFRP laminate have been applied to the underside of concrete structures to reinforce them. An example of such an application is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. As is shown in that figure, multiple elongated strips 10 of CFRP laminate can be secured to the bottom surface 12 of a concrete slab 14. The strips 10 can be attached to the slab 14 in a spaced relationship in which the longitudinal axes of the strips are parallel to each other across the width of the slab 14.
Current procedures for the overhead installation of CFRP laminate have changed little over the past 25 years and still rely largely on manual labor. In a typical case, strips of laminate are manually positioned and applied using the outstretched arms of workers, and are then secured using nylon straps normally used for tying down heavy loads. Such ad hoc procedures are both inefficient and time consuming. It can therefore be appreciated that it would be desirable to have alternative means for applying reinforcement materials, such as strips of CFRP laminate, to existing structures.